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Citing the US military Central Command as its source, the Washington Post reported on September 2 that ?more than 6,000 service members? had been medically evacuated from Iraq since the launch of the war. At the time, the number of combat wounded stood at 1,124. A further 301 personnel had been injured in non-combat incidents such as vehicle accidents. The figure of ?more than 6,000? supplied to the Post therefore implies that over 4,500 US troops have required evacuation from Iraq for medical reasons other than combat or non-combat injuries.

The Washington Post article did not include any further information on what is a staggering admission by the military. At no point in the last six months have the American people been told that for every soldier who has been killed in Iraq, at least another 15 have fallen so ill that they had to be flown back to the United States. The Post described the unexplained evacuations simply as the ?thousands who became physically or mentally ill?.

The obvious questions that must be answered are: what were they diagnosed with; what units are they from; what duties were they were performing; what long-term effects have they suffered; and what treatment are they receiving?

While large numbers of the evacuations may well be for routine medical reasons, such a detailed breakdown is essential. Apart from providing an insight into the true impact of the war on the American troops, it may provide evidence that supports the concerns among military personnel and their families that service in Iraq is exposing them to long-term and potentially fatal medical problems. In particular, there are fears that soldiers have already died or are falling ill due to their exposure to depleted uranium (DU) or the anthrax vaccine they have been compelled to take.

On July 31, the Army Surgeon General announced an investigation into the deaths of two soldiers, Michael Tosta and Josh Neusche, and the hospitalisation of another 100, diagnosed with severe pneumonia. It has been established that inhaling large concentrations of DU-contaminated particles damages the lungs and kidneys and can cause respiratory illness. There are also recorded medical suspicions that the US military?s anthrax vaccine can trigger pneumonia. In August 2002, three military doctors noted in the Cardiopulmonary and Critical Care Journal that a case of pneumonia in a healthy 39-year-old soldier ?may be due to the anthrax vaccine?.

The US Department of Defense has only made public one progress report on the pneumonia investigation. On August 22 it announced that it was ?making significant progress? in eliminating SARS and vaccines as a possible cause. It revealed that 10 alleged pneumonia cases showed a higher than normal number of the white blood cell eosinophils. It also reported that none of the 19 most severe cases belonged to the same units, that 13 had fallen ill in Iraq and that the remaining six fell ill in Kuwait, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and Djibouti. The Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner was reportedly investigating the ?specific cause or causes of death? of Tosta and Neusche.

Since July 31, however, another soldier, Zeferino Colunga, has died allegedly from pneumonia while Sergeant Richard Eaton has died from a pulmonary edema or fluid in the lungs. Two other soldiers have been found dead in their beds for as yet unexplained reasons.

Such is the distrust of the military that the families of both Josh Neusche and Colunga have demanded access to their loved ones? medical records, personal effects and blood and tissue samples, so that independent medical opinions can be sought on the cause of death. The families sent letters on August 12 to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stating: ?We as a family are concerned that we are not being told the truth.?

Stephanie Tosta, the 22-year-old widow of Michael Tosta, has publicly speculated the military is lying about the cause of her husband?s death. She told United Press International last month: ?More and more I think it was the [anthrax] shots. I think they [the Army] might be lying about this stuff. I really feel like it. Nobody can tell me anything. If it is the shots, then of course they are lying. We just want to know what happened and we have a right to know. But the Army is acting like they are trying to hide something, and that just makes it harder.?

The family of Rachael Lacy, a young soldier who died in Kuwait on April 4 from a ?pneumonia-like illness? but whose death is not included in the military investigation, is also alleging her death was due to the anthrax vaccine. Connecticut congressman Chris Shays, who chaired hearings last year on the possible side-effects of the anthrax vaccination program, is reportedly monitoring the investigation into the death of Sergeant Richard Eaton.

The website of ?Bring Them Home Now??an organisation of military families demanding the immediate withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East?bluntly warns soldiers that the only guaranteed way to limit the medical consequences from exposure to DU is to ?get out of Iraq or Afghanistan?.

The groups? statement of purpose declares: ?Not one more troop killed in action. Not one more troop wounded in action. Not one more troop psychologically damaged by the act of terrifying, humiliating, injuring or killing innocent people. Not one more troop spending one more day inhaling depleted uranium. Not one more troop separated from spouse and children. This is the only way to truly support these troops, and the families who are just as much part of the military as they are.? (http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/)

The National Gulf War Resource Center (NGWRC), an advocacy organisation for veterans of the first 1991 US war on Iraq, is assisting the military families who believe they are being lied to. Among the suspected causes of a range of illnesses commonly referred to as ?Gulf War syndrome? are DU exposure and complications triggered by vaccinations. By 1999, as many as 110,000 Gulf War veterans had reported health problems that they believe are due to their service in Iraq.

The sensitivity of the military hierarchy to the suspicions among rank-and-file troops, families and veterans is demonstrated by the reassurances on the official Army medical website that neither DU nor the anthrax vaccine pose a health risk. (http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/default2.htm) The US government also rejects any link between ?Gulf War syndrome?, DU and vaccines. In 1998 however, the US military did finally admit that at least 436,000 American troops entered into areas during the first Gulf War that were contaminated to some extent by DU radioactive dust.

Follow the strain isolation technique on Let's Grow Mushrooms, and then select sectors early which are brown in color. By the second or third transfer, you'll see stones developing, and this is only about 1 month after the original swipe of spores on agar.

Now, take each stone and move it to a new dish. Soon, the mycelium will grow out and you'll see fresh stones developing, and if they're good strains, the sclerotia is forming long before the mycelium reaches the edge of the plate. Pick strains which form four or five stones within two weeks and use these for your grain masters. -- RR

The tragic thing is they were probably only injected with the anthrax vaccine as a propaganda exercise in the first place. "Look how dangerous Saddam is, we have to inject our troops with anthrax vaccine!!".

What a callous, callous bunch of bastards Bush and his cronies are. And no doubt they'll be telling us Depleted Uranium and anthrax vaccines are harmless for a long time to come.

Indeed, it is more likely due to heat exhaustion, fatigue and mental distress than depleted uranium or the anthrax vaccine. I say this as the effects of "Gulf War Syndrome" usually take a few years to kick-in, this is a generalisation however.....

--------------------The punishment which the wise suffer, who refuse to take part in government, is to live under the government of worse men.

When I was still in the Air Force, it was announced that there would be a military-wide antrhax immunization program beginning in 1998 (or 1999). Some of the first soldiers scheduled to get their shots refused, because of safety concerns. Most of these soldiers were court martialed, demoted, and given desk jobs. Then a high visibility military person (I forgot who) said he would gladly take the shots after members of Congress did. Of course, Congress didn't find that too funny, but the immunization program was soon delayed (I'm not sure exactly why). I got out of the Air Force (for other reasons) before I was ever scheduled to get the shots. Kind of interesting that Congress refused to take the shots that soldiers were told were safe. Why wouldn't they want to be protected from anthrax?

Quote:On July 31, the Army Surgeon General announced an investigation into the deaths of two soldiers, Michael Tosta and Josh Neusche, and the hospitalisation of another 100, diagnosed with severe pneumonia.

The annual incidence of pneumonia cases in the U.S. is about 1.8 percent. 100 pneumonia cases out of about 140,000 people is 0.07 percent.

The 2001 World Health Organization report into the issue notes: "Brief accidental exposure to high concentrations of uranium hexafluoride has caused acute respiratory illness, which may be fatal."

It doesn't surprise me that the World Socialist Web Site (which is a front for marxists/trotskists) doesn't check its facts. Uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is not uranium in crystal form. UF6 is a gas compound that is used in the enrichment process. Fluorine is the most chemically reactive of all elements. When UF6 comes in contact with moisture, hydrogen fluoride (HF) is produced, and HF is extremely corrosive to lung tissue. But UF6 is not used in artillery shells. It wouldn't be very effective to use a gas to hit tank armor with, would it?

True. But in desert conditions, that some of the soldiers may still not have aclimatised to, which could still be consider a battlefield due to the continue attacks, some soldeirs health is bound to suffer..

--------------------The punishment which the wise suffer, who refuse to take part in government, is to live under the government of worse men.

Soldiers are considered guinea pigs by the government, so the Anthrax shots may very well be part of an experiment, just collecting data on how people respond to the effects of immunization. I think the average soldier is pretty much tough as nails, and isn't going to have a real tough time acclimating to any conditions.

On July 31, the Army Surgeon General announced an investigation into the deaths of two soldiers, Michael Tosta and Josh Neusche, and the hospitalisation of another 100, diagnosed with severe pneumonia.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The annual incidence of pneumonia cases in the U.S. is about 1.8 percent. 100 pneumonia cases out of about 140,000 people is 0.07 percent.

that number was not protrayed as the total number ofpneumonia cases, but rather just numbers from a singleisolated incident.

not sure if you can accurately project your percentagesagainst a sample like that.

--------------------All I know is The Growery is a place where losers who get banned here go.